Standing on the 25th floor of the Downtown City-County Building, with a sweeping view of Indianapolis below, Hogsett shared a grim reality about how painkillers such as OxyContin and Oxycodone have led many in the city down a path of addiction and into the throes of heroin.

The companies released statements to IndyStar regarding the allegations.

“We are deeply troubled by the opioid crisis and we are dedicated to being part of the solution," a Purdue Pharma statement read, in part. "We vigorously deny these allegations and look forward to the opportunity to present our defense.”

"At Endo, our top priorities include patient safety and ensuring that patients with chronic pain have access to safe and effective therapeutic options," an Endo statement read. "We share in the FDA’s goal of appropriately supporting the needs of patients with chronic pain while preventing misuse and diversion of opioid products."

"Teva is committed to the appropriate use of opioid medicines, and we recognize the critical public health issues impacting communities across the U.S. as a result of illegal drug use as well as the misuse and abuse of opioids that are available legally by prescription," a Teva statement read. "Teva offers extensive resources for prescribers, patients and pharmacists regarding the responsible pain management and prevention of prescription drug abuse."

"As distributors, we understand the tragic impact the opioid epidemic has on communities across the country. We are deeply engaged in the issue and are taking our own steps to be part of the solution — but we aren’t willing to be scapegoats," said John Parker, senior vice president of Healthcare Distribution Alliance, which represents the three distribution companies named by the city. "We don’t make medicines, market medicines, prescribe medicines or dispense them to consumers. Given our role, the idea that distributors are solely responsible for the number of opioid prescriptions written defies common sense and lacks understanding of how the pharmaceutical supply chain actually works and how it is regulated."

In June, Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill said he would join other attorneys general to investigate the role of opioid makers in the epidemic. On Thursday evening, Hill released a statement saying his office is still determining whether Indiana would pursue any legal action. His office has not been consulted by the city regarding Indianapolis' potential lawsuit, according to the statement.

More than 75 lawsuits have been filed nationwide, said Levin, the attorney representing Indianapolis.

On Thursday, Hogsett said Indianapolis has been forced to come up with new ways of confronting the opioid crisis, including the creation of Mobile Crisis Assistance Teams.

The teams — staffed with one police officer, one paramedic and one licensed clinician — are responding to crisis calls on the east side. They try to help those struggling with addiction rather than throw them into a jail cell.

Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Sgt. Catherine Cummings, who helped launch the teams, noted the team is trying help people navigate a problem "that's bigger than they are."

"Indianapolis is being very innovative in that approach," Cummings said. "We're not using the traditional public safety response."

But even as Cummings and other city officials seek progress in new programs, Hogsett said it's not enough.

“We have fought back as best we can," Hogsett said, "only to find this epidemic untenable.”

Irwin Levin, a managing partner of Cohen & Malad, LLP, will represent the city. The law firm will be paid one-third of any winnings, Levin said, and the city won't pay hourly or assume any upfront costs.

A lawsuit has not been filed, but is expected in the "coming weeks," he said.

IndyStar’s “State of Addiction: Confronting Indiana's Opioid Crisis” series is made possible through the support of the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation, a nonprofit foundation working to advance the vitality of Indianapolis and the well-being of its people.

CLOSE

Indianapolis wanted a better way to combat drug addiction and mental illness. So the city created its first Mobile Crisis Assistance Teams, consisting of a police officer, paramedic and clinician, to connect offenders to services.
Dwight Adams/IndyStar